And Here I Thought Someone Was Being So Arrogant

The family had barely stepped off the train when a large crowd of people dressed as servants surrounded them.

Eros raised an eyebrow in surprise, but what the group did next made everything clear.

And here I thought some family was being awfully arrogant. Turns out it was mine. Never mind, then.

The crowd first bowed to them, then formed a human wall, one person after another.

They held back the passengers coming off the other carriages, clearing an unobstructed path for the family.

Just then, a man and a woman approached from the other side. The man looked to be in his early thirties, wearing an immaculate formal suit, with handsome features and a refined air.

The woman looked to be in her late twenties, a mature beauty with a tall, slender figure. Dressed in a black formal gown, she had delicate features and carried herself with effortless elegance.

They were Eros's eldest brother, Mishuel Renka North, and his fourth sister, Sivier Renka North, both of whom shared his father but had a different mother.

The two walked up to Estelle and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, madam!"

Estelle gave a slight nod and said nothing more.

Mishuel and Sivier thought nothing of it. They turned to Eros and Wendy beside her and greeted them with smiles.

"I've only been away from home for three years, and little Wendy and little Eros have already grown so tall! Come on, let's get into the carriage first, then talk."

With that, he ushered everyone toward the luxurious carriage waiting at the station exit.

Once everyone had boarded, Mishuel lifted the curtain and instructed the coachman and the mounted knights clearing the way ahead.

"Raise the family banner!"

Then he returned to the carriage and began telling Estelle about the family's progress in the Imperial Capital over the past few years, along with some of the difficulties they had encountered.

Eros had no interest in all that tedious business, so he sidled up beside Wendy and joined her in watching the Imperial Capital's buildings and the people passing outside.

To be honest, Eros was a little disappointed. This was supposed to be one of the most prosperous cities on the Croatia Continent, after all.

And this was the state of its streets? They weren't exactly littered with rubbish, but they certainly couldn't be called clean.

Most of the people passing by wore ragged clothes. At the sight of their carriage, they hurriedly lowered their heads, not daring to look up.

There were a few decently dressed people who stood out from the crowd, but even they removed their hats and offered a slight salute when they saw the carriage.

Wendy, on the other hand, seemed quite excited. "There are so many people here!"

Eros leaned against Wendy, sounding rather bored.

"It's the Imperial Capital. Of course there are lots of people. This is one of the most prosperous cities in the world today, after all."

Just then, Barbara, who had been absent for nearly half a month, suddenly spoke in Eros's mind.

"There's a spiritual fluctuation in the alley ahead to the right!"

Her voice was calm, her tone cold.

Eros paused at her words, his gaze instinctively shifting in the direction Barbara had indicated.

Deep within the dark alley, his keen eyesight picked out a slender figure with long, burgundy hair pinning an unkempt, scruffy man to the wall with a dagger, killing him.

As though sensing someone watching her, the red-haired woman turned and glanced in Eros's direction.

Their eyes met, and a strange power traveled along the red-haired woman's gaze, attempting to invade Eros's mind.

Heh, couldn't get through my defenses!

The red-haired woman was clearly taken aback, but the corners of Eros's mouth curled upward.

"Tsk, something like this happens the moment I enter the Imperial Capital. Interesting! Looks like I won't be bored here."

What troubled him, though, was that Barbara disappeared again after saying that one sentence. No matter how he called out to her, she gave no reply. Sigh!

Wendy nudged Eros. "What are you looking at?"

"Oh! There's a red-haired woman over there. She's quite pretty, so I took a few extra looks."

Wendy was speechless.

The carriage continued onward, soon passing through the outer city and entering the inner city.

Conditions in the inner city were clearly much better than in the outer city. Not only were the streets cleaner and tidier!

Even most of the people coming and going were dressed in fine, bright clothes, evidently quite well-off.

Before long, they arrived at what would be their home in the Imperial Capital.